As a result of not expecting any visitors and having become completely engrossed in her magazine, Sarah found herself a little startled by the ring of the doorbell. She put down her magazine and, whilst walking to the front door, Sarah wondered who the visitor could be.

On opening the door, Sarah was greeted with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers. The bouquet was so big that it completely obscured the person carrying it, meaning that Sarah was still absolutely clueless with regard to who the visitor could be.

The puzzle of the mystery visitor was soon solved when Sarah heard a familiar voice shout out; “Special delivery for the very special lady with the new short haircut!”

The voice, of course, was Steve’s and although him bringing her flowers was a wonderful surprise, Sarah immediately realized that she had been caught completely off her guard. She instinctively raised her hand to her neatly set head of curls and could not help but blush a little with the realization that her chance of experiencing curly hair in privacy was now gone.

With that, Steve lowered the flowers to reveal his face and immediately discovered that the flowers were not the only surprise of the evening; as there, stood in front of him, was his beloved Sarah sporting the most wonderfully neat and tidy head of short curly hair! Steve could barely believe his eyes, or his heart, as there Sarah stood, wearing her rather “mumsie-looking” pink sweat top and pants with her head full of curls and her face completely devoid of makeup; Sarah now looked every inch the respectable and homely looking young mother and housewife that Steve had hoped she would one day become.

Not knowing quite what to say, Steve pointed to the flowers and, in a cheeky tone of voice, said: “Surprise”

Sarah, feeling equally awkward, broke into the sweetest little smile as she pointed to her curly hair and replied; “Surprise”.

“Yes! And it’s the most wonderful surprise!” Enthused Steve as he gave Sarah the warmest of hugs. “I absolutely adore this,” He continued, as he gently ran his fingers through Sarah’s soft springy curls; they felt wonderful, so soft, so gentle, so innocent. Then, after gently pulling Sarah’s head into his gently cupped hand, he whispered; “You’re all curly”.

Sarah with her heart all of a flutter, could no nothing other than gush; “Yes! Yes I am”.

“Well then curly girl, are you going to invite me in so that I can take a closer look at you?”

“Yes, of course! I’m sorry. Please.. come in”.

Steve followed Sarah into the house and couldn’t help but notice how much larger Sarah’s hips and thighs looked in her sweat pants. It was evident that she had put on more than a few pounds over the recent months and this was confirmed by the fact that Sarah was also sporting more than a little bit of a tummy. Although most trendy young men would be displeased at their girlfriends gaining weight, Steve was different and was over the moon to see that Sarah was most definitely sporting a more rounded and fuller figure.

Sarah took Steve through into the kitchen and immediately put the kettle on. Whilst waiting for the kettle to boil, Steve pulled Sarah into another affectionate embrace and, in a really warm and tender tone, asked her what had prompted two surprise trips to the hairdressers in as many days.

Sarah couldn’t help but break into a broad smile as, gazing affectionately into Steve’s eyes, she replied; “Well, the first visit was to have my hair cut short because I wanted to look neat and tidy for your Mum and Dad”.

Steve, having a good idea what was coming next, couldn’t help himself but to probe; “And for the second visit?”

Sarah adopting an even sweeter smile replied; “Well, the second visit was for you”.

Steve, looking somewhat coy, replied; “For me?”

“Yes, for you, silly. My second visit to the hairdressers was because you said that you would like to see me with curly hair. So, I decided to ask the hairdresser to make me nice and curly as a special surprise for you.” Sarah then put her hand to her curls and, adopting a somewhat nervous tone, continued; “I hope you like it?”

Steve couldn’t help but break into the biggest smile as, pulling Sarah into an even warmer embrace, he enthused; “Sarah, I don’t just like it, I absolutely adore it! I am so lucky that you are my girl and I’m so sorry if I appeared unenthusiastic. It’s just that I was a little stunned that you’d managed to get your hair permed so quickly as, after all, we’d only talked about it last night. It can’t have been easy to find a hairdresser to perm your hair at such short notice, where and when did you have it done?”

Sarah was absolutely thrilled that Steve liked her with curly hair and was overjoyed that she had been able to have her hair done to please him; however, his enthusiasm was now presenting her with several problems. Problem number one, was that she had not had the chance to get used to having curly hair and, although she’d banked on having some time to herself to decide whether she really liked it, the chance to do that had now faded away. Problem number two, was that Steve had jumped to the conclusion that Sarah’s hair had already been permed when, in reality it, had not.

This left Sarah in a complete quandary; she didn’t want to be dishonest with Steve but, equally, she really didn’t want to disappoint him by having to tell him that her hair wasn’t permed. Sarah’s mind was all of a whiz; she loved the fact that Steve really liked her with curly hair and was overjoyed that she’d been able to do something that had made him so happy, but she knew she had to answer Steve’s question and, although she desperately wanted to be honest, she simply couldn’t let him down! So, whilst running her fingers through her sweet little curls, she said to herself; “I think these are going to need to stay”. And, with that, the decision was made; Sarah was going to keep her appointment with Maureen and, at 9.30 tomorrow morning, she would be having her first ever perm; a short tight poodle perm!

Although she hated lying, Sarah reassured herself that it was only a little fib that was for a good cause, so having taken a deep breath, she answered; “Well, I knew you wanted to see me curly, so I took a half day off and went to see Maureen, the lady who cut my hair short yesterday. I asked Maureen if she cut fit me in, and she did it for me there and then.”

Steve, adopting a reassuring tone, enthused; “Well I’m really glad she was able to fit you in and I must say she’s done a beautiful job, I absolutely adore you with you hair like this”.

Sarah, feeling physically relieved, smiled sweetly and, before giving Steve a loving kiss, replied; “Well that is very nice to hear, kind Sir, because the reason I’m all curly is because I want to look nice for you”.

Steve, being completely overjoyed, gently stroked Sarah’s curls as he replied; “Thank you Sweetheart. I’m so glad you’ve had this done and I much prefer the way you look now your hair is short and curly. You look absolutely wonderful and I hope these sweet little curls of yours will be a feature of you for a very, very long time and, if I had my way, from now on you would remain wonderfully short and curly.

Sarah found this last statement not only reassuring, but also of great help with regard to how she was going to explain why, tomorrow, her hair was going to be shorter and curlier than it was right now.

Sarah, with a gentle smile and a loving tone, replied; “Sweetheart, I am so glad you like me looking like this, as I love to look nice for you and only you. And, if you really want my hair to stay curly, then I shall be happy to make sure that happens”.

“You will? You’ll really keep your hair curly?”

“Yes! Yes I will. I promise it will remain curly AND short for just as long as you want it to and if that means forever, then I’m just going to have to forget that I ever had straight hair, won’t I?”

With a great big smile, Steve whispered; “Yes, I guess you
will, because I think these curls should stay forever.”

Sarah, adopting a more serious tone, now took the opportunity to explain why her hair was going to look a little different tomorrow; “Steve, although I’ll gladly keep my hair short and curly, I think it’s important to tell you that it won’t always look the same as this.” Sarah continued to explain that Maureen had “set” her hair for her today to give her a more formal look, but once she had washed it herself, it would dry naturally into a short “curly perm” look.

To Sarah’s amazement, Steve said he understood completely, as it was exactly the same when his Mum and Sister had their hair permed. With great authority, Steve explained that when they were going to a formal occasion, they would have their hair set so they looked smart and somewhat conservative, but on normal days they would allow their hair to dry naturally into a plain and simple short curly look that, although looking a little more casual, still looked neat, tidy and presentable.

Feeling totally relieved at Steve’s apparent understanding, Sarah empathized; “So you won’t mind if I allow my hair to dry naturally, into a plain and simple short curly look, for the next time you see me?”

“No, of course not Sweetheart, I’m looking forward to seeing you with your hair that way. However, I’m afraid we’re going to have to change our plans a little with regard to the next few days and, I’m going to be very cheeky and ask a big favor of you?”

Steve explained that, unfortunately, he had been called away on business for the next two days to a Convention with his Managing Director. Steve continued that although it was a pain to have to go away at such short notice, it was an honor to have been chosen to accompany the Director and it was a good sign that his aspirations for promotion had not gone unnoticed. Steve explained that he would not be back until late on Friday night, meaning that he would be unable to see Sarah until Saturday; the day they were going to visit his Grand Mother.

Sarah, although being a little disappointed that her plans to see Steve had changed, was over the moon that Steve had been chosen for such a prestigious business trip. Being extremely excited for him, she congratulated Steve on his success, reassured him that she didn’t mind him shooting-off at short notice and, inquisitively, asked him what he wanted her to do with regard to the favor he needed.

At this point, Steve found himself feeling a little embarrassed as he awkwardly explained that he very much wanted Sarah to be well received by his Grand Mother and that although he was sure she would look delightful if she allowed her hair to dry naturally, he would love for his Grandmother to see her hair as it is now.

“So are you suggesting that I should pay a third visit to Maureen’s?” Sarah asked, in a playful tone.

Steve fumbled; “Well, er, yes; if you wouldn’t mind. I’m sorry to be a pain.”

Again, in a playful tone, Sarah probed; “And I’m guessing you would like me to ask her to give me a shampoo and set?”

Steve, sensing that Sarah was playing with him a little, smiled and simply replied; “Well, yes, that would be nice.”

“And would Sir like his Lady to have her hair set like this or, as it is for a special occasion, would he prefer for it to be set in a more formal manner so that she looks extra smart?”

Steve who, thanks to Sarah’s friendly teasing, was now feeling less awkward and embarrassed, responded in playful manner; “Yes. Sir thinks it would be highly appropriate for his lady to have her hair styled in a smarter, more formal, manner for when she meets his Grandmother.”

“Oh would Sir?”

“Yes Sir would, but is his lady going to oblige him?”

Sarah adopting a more serious tone, continued; “Of course I’ll oblige you, I’ll gladly have my hair set. But, joking apart, I really do want to be well received by your Grand Mother and am I right in sensing that it may be a good idea if I asked Maureen to set my hair to give me a more formal and conservative appearance?”

Michael was amazed at Sarah’s response and just couldn’t believe just how much Sarah’s attitude had changed. A week ago she was completely wrapped up in her appearance and if anyone had even suggested she should tone herself down, there would have been hell to pay. However, less than a week later, not only had she already significantly toned down her appearance, but here she was volunteering to tone it down further. This, of course inspired Steve with confidence as he replied; “Well, if you wouldn’t mind styling your hair to look, well, smart, conservative..er..” Although Steve was feeling more confident, he still found himself fumbling. So, he took a deep breath and decided to just spurt it out and say exactly what he meant. Steve continued; “..well…to look more plain and homely. I know it’s a big ask, but it would only be for the weekend and it would soon wash out.”

Steve waited for Sarah’s response with baited breath but if Sarah’s recent change in attitude had amazed him, Steve was left flabbergasted as Sarah replied; “That’s not a problem, I can do that. I’ll make sure that Maureen styles my hair to make me look smart and conservative. I think it’s a nice idea and I don’t mind if it makes me look plain; as long as you, your family and my family like it.”

With that, the kettle boiled, Sarah made some coffee and they sat down at the kitchen table.

Sarah was curious to hear more about her sisters perm as, after all, this was the reason Steve; A) Knew so much about women’s hair and; B) The reason that Steve had suggested that he’d like to See Sarah with curly hair in the first place. In a tentative manner, Sarah broached the subject; “Steve, you know when your sister had her hair permed?”

“Yes.” Replied Steve, not knowing where this topic of conversation was leading.

Sarah finding Steve’s response less than helpful, probed; “Yes and no? How do you mean?”

Steve pondered for a moment as he collected his thoughts and proceeded to explain that his sister’s (Tina) hair had been cut short and permed at his mother’s request. He explained that the reason his mother wanted it done was because she wanted Tina to look nice for her Grand Parents 50th Wedding Anniversary. Steve continued, that Tina’s hair was done two weeks before the party and was originally styled in a similar way to Sarah’s, however; his Mum had Tina change her hair on the morning of the party.

This last point intrigued Sarah and, of course, she wanted to know more. Sarah listened intently as Steve continued; “You see, Tina was always an incredibly feisty and trendy “girly” girl. She used to annoy mum because she used to place too much emphasis on her appearance and mum had hoped that having her hair done would have calmed her down a bit.”

“And I guess that it didn’t quite work out that way?”

“No, not at all. Tina reacted very badly to the whole thing and spent even more time on herself, taking ages every morning and evening to straighten her hair so she still looked trendy.”

“And I take it that didn’t go down too well with your mum?”

“Mum was really disappointed in Tina and it got a whole lot worse when Mum and Dad came home early one evening to find Tina in a comprised position with a boy; in Mum and Dad’s bedroom!”

“Wow! So what happened then?”

“Well, Mum was absolutely furious and the most amazing row broke out. Mum chastised Tina not only for her indiscretion with the boy, but also for the way she dressed, the way she behaved and most of all for all the time she had been wasting whilst trying to disguise her curls.”

“What an unfortunate situation, I can understand Mum being upset.”

“Absolutely, but it didn’t end there, because the next day was the day of the party and Mum and Tina were due to have their hair set that morning. Mum was still furious and was dete
rmined to put an end to Tina’s nonsense for once and for all.

“Really? In what way”

“Mum was determined that Tina was going to show-off her curls, whether she liked it or not. So she had the hairdresser cut Tina’s hair even shorter.”

“Wow! Shorter? So did she have all her curls cut off?”

“No, it was cut short enough to stop Tina from styling her hair, but not so short to lose the curl and, because it was shorter, the curls seemed to become tighter. I guess the hairdresser removed any remnants of style and just left Tina with a very simple, basic, no-nonsense short curly cut. I think it was called a bubblecut or something.”

“So did this mean Tina couldn’t have her hair straightened or set?”

“Yes and No. It was cut so that Tina couldn’t straighten it or style it herself meaning that if Sarah washed it, she then had no choice but to sport the bubblecut. However, there was just enough length left to enable the hairdresser to set Tina’s hair should Mum want her to look more formal.”

“How did the hair being shorter effect the set look?”

“Because her hair was shorter and there was less to work with, the hairdresser had to set it in a more basic and, I guess, traditional way. It left Tina looking much smarter and more proper than she had looked when her hair had been set before.”

With tomorrows trip to Maureen very much on her mind, Sarah realized that the same fait awaited her. She was, therefore, more than anxious to find out what people’s opinions were to Tina’s dramatic transformation.

“Crumbs! It sounds like the hairdresser really went to town on Tina?”

“I guess she did. The hairdresser was a good friend of my Mum’s and was concerned about the problems Tina had been causing. So, I guess she was anxious to help mum put Tina back on the straight and narrow.”

“And was your Mum pleased with the outcome?”

“Most definitely. I guess Mum was happy on several fronts; 1) Tina now had no choice but to show-off her curls to the rest of the world. 2) Mum thought she looked wonderfully neat, tidy and presentable. 3) It really calmed Tina down, both in appearance and attitude, and she left the hairdressers with a persona that was somewhat gentle and subdued.”

“And how did Tina feel about it?”

“It really knocked her confidence at first. Having been incredibly proud of her appearance and having cultured an image of confidence and sassiness amongst her friends, it was hard for her to come to grips with the fact (and to show the world) that her appearance and, therefore, her image, was now so different. That said though, she soon started to enjoy the benefits of a simpler life; she enjoyed having constantly neat and tidy hair without effort, she enjoyed the positive support she received from her family and, as a result of losing some of her popularity amongst some of her friends and peers, she was able to concentrate more on her studies and, as a result, gained a place at Oxford University.”

Sarah, feeling a warmth flow through her, empathized; “Sounds like, on the whole, it was a very positive outcome for her.”

“Yes, it was. It may have seemed a harsh thing to do, but it really paid dividends in the end.”

“So what did everyone think of Tina’s new appearance?”

“She got a mixed reaction. Her “sassy”, fickle, friends didn’t like it, made fun of her and no longer treated her as one of the “popular” girls. Her real friends, although not necessarily liking the new style, mostly thought it was for the best and gave her lots of support. And my family all really liked it; they were glad to have the real Tina back and were proud to have her looking so presentable.”

Although most young girls would have been devastated for Tina, Sarah actually found herself feeling slightly jealous of Tina’s experience. She thought it wonderful that Tina had enjoyed such acceptance and support from her family and proper friends, but wondered what Steve’s opinion was. Sarah just had to find out, so she gently probed; “So what did you think of Tina’s hair Steve?”

“I really liked it. I thought the short curly perm was much nicer than her long trendy style, but I thought she looked nicer still once her hair had been cut shorter into the bubblecut. I’m not entirely sure why I preferred it, I just preferred the way it looked; she just seemed nicer, more feminine, but in a nice and gentle kind of way”

Hearing this, of course, was music to Sarah’s ears and she finally had an excuse as to why her hair was going to look different tomorrow. It was obvious that Steve preferred Tina when her hair was in a bubblecut and now all she had to find out was whether he’d prefer his girlfriend to wear her hair the same. Sarah took a deep breath and, with a sincere tone and caring expression, proceeded to play her ace; “That sounds wonderful darling and I think Tina is very lucky to have such a supportive brother. Would you mind if I asked you a question?”

“No, of course not.”

Well, before I ask, I want you to know it’s not a trick question and I’m not trying to trick you in anyway. So I want you to be honest with me and not be shy when you answer. Is that okay?”

Steve, sensing the seriousness of Sarah’s tone, adopted a serious tone himself as he answered; “Yes, of course.”

“Well, you know when I go and have my hair set, for when we visit your Grandmother?”

“Yes”

“Well, I was wondering if when I go, if it be a nice idea if I asked my hairdresser to do the same to my hair as your Mum had done to Tina’s?”

Steve, although thinking he knew what Sarah meant, wasn’t 100% sure. So, in a slightly puzzled tone, he probed; “Do you mean have it cut shorter?

Sarah, picking up on Steve’s slight confusion, and appreciating that perhaps she was speaking in riddles, decided that she should be a little more forthright as she replied; “I guess what I’m really saying is; would you like to see me wear my hair in a short little bubblecut like Tina used to have?

Steve was completely surprised to be made such an offer but, at the same time, was overjoyed at the thought of Sarah doing such a thing. He could hardly contain his delight as he replied; “Sarah, my Angel. I would love to see you with your hair like that and I think you’d look absolutely delightful.”

Sarah, being physically relieved by Steve’s response, continued; “So, when I go to the hairdresser’s next time, what would you like me to ask her to give me?

Steve, suddenly feeling brave, replied; “I think it would be nice if you asked her to give you a nice short bubblecut and then to set your hair so that you are nice and smart for when we meet my Grandmother.”

Sarah, relieved that her problem was now solved, and relieved that Steve had now taken charge of the situation, couldn’t help herself but indulge just a little further into her state of submissiveness, as she probed; “And how would you like it to be set? So I am formal and smart as if I am going to a high-brow function, or sedate and smart so I am more gentle and homely?”

With his eyes smiling, almost as much as his heart was fluttering, Steve answered; “I would love you to be sedate and smart; to have you become all gentle and homely sounds wonderful.”

Sarah, being completely aware that she had already dramatically toned down her appearance, was quite certain that once she’d been given her short curly little bubblecut, not only would her appearance have become completely subdued, but she would be leaving the hairdressers having become the plainest of plain Jane’s. Whilst Sarah was quite happy to do this and was quite sure that it would make Steve happy, she felt it important that Steve realized the affect this would have on their image as a couple. So, with deep sincerity and more than a little emotion, she stated; “Steve, I’ll gladly have this done, but before I say “yes”, I just want to be happy that you realize that once it’s been done, I am going to leave the hairdressers looking extremely plain and homely. I won’t be able to do anything to adapt it if you don’t
like it because my hair will be too short and too curly to change it and it will take ages for it to grow out. I just want to be sure that you’ll be comfortable having a very plain and ordinary girl on your arm?”

Sarah, being completely aware that she had already dramatically toned down her appearance, was quite certain that once she’d been given her short curly little bubblecut, not only would her appearance have become completely subdued, but she would be leaving the hairdressers having become the plainest of plain Jane’s. Whilst Sarah was quite happy to do this and was quite sure that it would make Steve happy, she felt it important that Steve realized the affect this would have on their image as a couple. So, with deep sincerity and more than a little emotion, she stated; “Steve, I’ll gladly have this done, but before I say “yes”, I just want to be happy that you realize that once it’s been done, there will be no turning back and I will, without a doubt, leave the hairdressers looking extremely plain and homely. It is important that you realize that even if you don’t like it there will be nothing I can do because my hair will be too short and too curly to leave me with any styling choices. We’ll be stuck with me having super short tight curly hair until it grows out; and that will take a very long time. So, before I do it, I just want to be sure that you’ll be comfortable having a very plain and ordinary girl on your arm?”

Steve, breaking into a huge smile, pulled Sarah into a loving embrace and gently reassured her; “My darling Sarah, not only will I be comfortable with it, but I’ll be the proudest man in the world to have you on my arm, looking just like that. I want the world to know that I love you and I want the world to see the real, sweet, gentle, you.”

This was all that Sarah needed to be completely comfortable with her decision and with the most amazing rush of emotion, she gently kissed Steve before whispering; “Well gentle and homely it is then. I hope you are going to like it.”